Secular music in the church

[Pastor Chris F]

I recently lost a friend on facebook who I went to bible college with because I asked him why he thought a song that mentions hoes was ok to sing in a worship service at his church. I thought this might make for some good discussion here so I have posted a link to the churches Youtube page where you will see songs from Billionaire, rolling in the deep to classics like Hells bells, and the rolling stones song sympathy for the devil. Yes even the theme from Star Wars. So check it out and discuss. Should this church play this sorta music in a worship service?

http://www.youtube.com/user/northpoi...e=results_main

[VCURamFan]

Originally Posted by Pastor Chris F

I recently lost a friend on facebook who I went to bible college with because I asked him why he thought a song that mentions hoes was ok to sing in a worship service at his church. I thought this might make for some good discussion here so I have posted a link to the churches Youtube page where you will see songs from Billionaire, rolling in the deep to classics like Hells bells, and the rolling stones song sympathy for the devil. Yes even the theme from Star Wars. So check it out and discuss. Should this church play this sorta music in a worship service?

http://www.youtube.com/user/northpoi...e=results_main

Chris, come on, man. You know that it wasn't because you "asked" a question. After how many arguments we've all started with each other around here, I'm pretty sure what split it up wasn't the question.

Also, to answer your question: no, I don't think that secular songs should be sung in church. I'm not evenly entirely comfortable with Christian songs being sung to secular melodies. Music is a much more powerful force than many acknowledge it to be & I can say from experience that even though I was singing the lyrics to Amazing Grace, because the melody we were singing it to was House of the Rising Sun, my mind was not able to focus on worshipping God. I was distracted by the original message of the song because it's impossible to divorce that strong bind between the music & the memories/emotions/thoughts they inspire.

[Pastor Chris F]

Seriously I just asked him the question. The thing is I am not the only one who thinks this and he gets asked this by many many others as well. He said he is tired of it and started taking people off. He said they change lives. Yet I offered him an example of the people at my job who go there and they still smoke pot, have sex outside of marriage, get drunk, curse, and act the same way they did before the "salvation"

Sure am I confrontational? You bet but this time it was a simple question. It was he just got the same question by over 200 Facebook friends in the last few weeks. This guy used to be solid in school. He fell off the wagon when his son backslid and started doing drugs. He left the ministry and started attending this seeker sensitive church.. I am embarrassed they are even in my denomination. He preached one Sunday that Hell is not even a literal destination. Even thought the denomination as well as scripture clearly says it is.

I have never heard a worship song done to secular tunes. Thanks for that tibit. I have heard a Christian version of Weird Al Yankovic and they play songs but never in church as part of a worship service.

[TexasRN]

I am planning our wedding music and can't have any secular music during the ceremony in church. This means not even the traditional wedding march. So my ceremony song list is something like:

All Glory Laud and Honor
Love Divine, All Loves Excelling (love Charles Wesley)
Lord of All Hopefulness
Nearer My God To Thee

etc....

~Amy

[NateR]

I've heard the "House of the Rising Sun" melody used for other hymns in church. I'm not sure what the thinking behind that is, since most of these hymns already have their own melodies.

My guess is that those church's music leaders are huge fans of secular music, so they are simply trying to merge that with worship. Which probably skirts dangerously close to blasphemy.

Worship isn't for our benefit or entertainment, it's for GOD and GOD alone. Anytime worship gets contaminated by our own personal interests, then it's no longer worship, it's idolatry.

Unfortunately, many modern Christians (at least modern American Christians) are incapable of distinguishing between music and worship. I think the current "music=worship/worship=music" trend in modern Churches is one the great heresies of our time.

Worship is not something you conjure up from an emotional reaction to music. The inability to distinguish between emotional feelings and true worship sets us up for major Satanic deceptions, even within the walls of a church building. Yes, true worship can inspire emotions, but emotions don't necessarily inspire true worship.

[NateR]

Originally Posted by Pastor Chris F

Yes even the theme from Star Wars.

That's probably about as spiritually beneficial as a sermon about this:

Finding God in Star Wars

If I ever heard a pastor call Christianity a "carbon copy of Buddhism", I would get up and walk out immediately.

[Tyburn]

Its funny because last year at Christchurch on the stray, they sang a hymn on remembrance sunday....and the tune was the German National Anthem

whilst I felt uncomfortable with that...it must be said that for example...this piece which is directly based on the same tune, used for a prelude wouldnt bother me at all

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfmFpycqOKI

I believe that classical music, and organ music is alright in a church, most organ music, even used for some films, is far older, and written to be played as a prelude or postlude to the services...So I see nothing wrong with using the starwars theame as a bit of music to enter or leave by...Just like I would have no problem with this famous little gem

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho9rZjlsyYY absolutely written for such a purpose!

Personally...I dont think secular songs have any place in worship...I dont even particularly think christian rock or grapevine type music really should be in an actual service.

I really perfer hymns, reasonable songs, and organ/classical music.

[Tyburn]

infact...if July 4th was ever a Sunday...I even think that a good recessional piece sounding like this would be more then acceptable in church

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSodpVnQHH8

[Tyburn]

Originally Posted by NateR

Worship is not something you conjure up from an emotional reaction to music. The inability to distinguish between emotional feelings and true worship sets us up for major Satanic deceptions, even within the walls of a church building. Yes, true worship can inspire emotions, but emotions don't necessarily inspire true worship.

I dont think Worship even has to involve "music" at all. Radical though that might sound...the same is true for "praise" both are configured in our minds to means "music"...but they are not synonomous I dont think.

I dont really know how to define or describe, nor tell you how I'd know the difference, but intuitively I think I do.

also...good point...I think the Church has mistakenly put us in a position where we associate "worship" as some kind of duty we must perform.

But that doesnt even work out in normal human interactions. If you truely love someone, then you will often not only want to do something to make them happy...but just naturally do it because it makes them happy.

I dont see the church telling us how GOD feels about worship...that key element removes him entirely and makes it seem like its something to do...when its actually a natural response...and look at any married couple...they will do it and be almost unaware of it....their thoughts on on the feelings of the other person, not their own.

[NateR]

Originally Posted by Tyburn

I dont think Worship even has to involve "music" at all. Radical though that might sound...the same is true for "praise" both are configured in our minds to means "music"...but they are not synonomous I dont think.

I agree, worship can inspire music or inspire people to break out into song; but music rarely, if ever, inspires true worship.

I think the mistake a lot of Christians make is they believe that the worship service is for their benefit. This is evident when you hear people talking about what they got out of the worship service. Or complaining because they didn't get anything out of the worship that day.

Well that misses the entire point of worship. The most basic definition of worship is to pay homage to a superior being. So, us giving honor and glory to GOD is the point of worship and is the only form of true worship. It's not for our benefit or entertainment. However, if we are truly worshipping GOD the way He wants to be worshipped, then we will benefit from it; but we should be the last person on our minds when we worship GOD.

But, you're right, it doesn't need to involve music at all. The New Testament gives us plenty of examples of non-musical worship that truly honored GOD, from just sitting quietly and listening to Christ's teachings, to pouring expensive perfume on Jesus' feet.

It's sad that we may have entire churches of Christians in America who have never truly worshipped GOD in their entire life, even though their "praise and worship" band is the highlight of their services.